Orienting mechanism



March 14, 1944. L ERMAN] 4 2,344,461

ORIENTING MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 28, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR I Louzs Her/22am /Q M4 ATT'ORN YS March 14, 1944. L..HERMANI2,344,461

ORIENTING MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 28, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR Louis Hermani YEW/W4 7 ATTORN S Marich 14, 1944. R AIQI v2,344,461

'ORIEN'IING MECHANISM H ori inal Filed Sept. 28, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet :s

INVENTOR I Lama Her-mam, 8Y4 i ATTOR March 14, 1944. 1.1mm. 2,344,461

ORIENTING MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 28, 1940 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR Loulsfiermant 4 ATTOR Patented Mar. 14, 1944 ORIENTINGMECHANISM Louis Hermani, Baltimore, Md

Owens-Illinois Can Delaware assignor to mpany, a corporation of Originalapplication September 28, 1940, Serial No. 358,865. Divided and thisapplication June 19, 1942, Serial N0. 447,527

. c Claims. lei; 198-33) The present invention relates to improvementsin machines for assembling metal containers and more particularly isconcerned with the assembly of containers of the type disclosed in NydenPatent #2,197,481 issued April 16, 1940, wherein the hinge carryingportions of the body and cover are telescoped one within the other insuch fashion as to interengage the hinge members.

An object of my invention is the provision of a completely automaticmachine by means of which the container parts are formed and deliveredto an assembly station, assembled at said station and immediatelythereafter closedpreparatory to packing in cartons or the like forshipment.

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel means forcontrolling the delivery of container covers or closures to the assemblystation. To this end the covers are carried along a horizontal conveyorand at a predetermined point are discharged therefrom'into a verticalguideway by a jet of 7 air under pressure, the latter being interruptedat such times as-the guideway has been substantially filled with thecover portions.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the assembling machine embody myinvention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view taken from the right hand end of Fig.1.'

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the conveyor and vertical guide forthe cover parts.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the verticalguideway for the cover parts and the means for discharging such partsfrom the conveyor into the upper end of said guideway.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view with parts in elevation of the bodyand cover assembly mechanism.

Fig. 7 .is a fragmentary detai1 sectional view illustrating the finalassembling position of the parts shown in Fig. 6.

This application isa division of my copending application, Serial No.358 865, filed Sept. 28, 1940, entitled Machine for assembling metalcontainers, allowed September 4, 1943. Q

Briefly, my invention (Fig. 1) includes an assembling machine 25 towhich the cover and body portions of said metal containers are deliveredin proper timed relation. The body portions are produced b-y a punchpress (-not shown) and certain of the side walls are notched andslotted, such notches and slots constituting parts of hinge meansthrough which the body and cover parts are finally connected together.A-container of this type is disclosed in Nyden Patent #2,197,481 issuedApril 16, 1940. v

The assembling machine 25 receives the body and cover portions andquickly assembles them in open position. Immediately thereafter the openassembled containers are automatically delivered to a closing devicewhich cams the cover downwardly over the body portion and simultaneouslytherewith sizes the containers. This latter operation sizingf involvessqueezing in-- wardly any portions of the cover which may pro-- jectoutward abnormally and thereby insures: uniformity of exteriordimensions and contour.

The assembling machine comprises a horizontal table 30 supported uponlegs 3!. Near one end of the table an assembling unit 32 is mounted andin proximity to this unit there is arranged the aforementioned containerclosing and sizing device 33. v

The body portions 34 of the containers are transferredto the assemblingunit 32 from the punch press at regular time intervals by means of aconveyor (not shown), inclined chute as and a horizontal reciprocatingfeed bar 3?, the latter being mounted in an upwardly facing channel 38which is provided in the upper face of the table 30.

The container bodies are momentarily brought to a standstill as theassembly station and while so positioned, have the hinge end thereoftelescoped into a cover C, which has previously been positioned at oneside of the assembly station by automatic mechanism. This mechanismincludes a horizontal guideway 15 which extends from a point inproximity to the cover punch press to an inclined chute 18 which ispositioned between the assembling unit 32 and the aforementionedinclined chute 36 which delivers the container bodies 34 to the feed bar37. The covers C are conveyed on edge along said channel 15 or guideway'by means of an endless belt Ti which is trained over a pulley i8 nearthe aforementioned inclined chute 16, said pulley being driven by meansof a belt 19 and a second pulley 80, the latter mounted upon the outerend of a shaft M which also carries the first mentioned pulley l8. Nearone end of the channel a side wall thereof is in part'cut away toprovide a lateral discharge opening 82 which communicates directly withthe open upper end of a substantially rectangular funnel guide 83, thelatter being directly connected with the upper end of a verticalguideway or passageway 84. This vertical guideway in cross-section anddimensions is such as to accommodate a stack of the container coversplaced on edge and in abutting relationship. The bottom end 85 of thepassageway is open whereby to permit gravity discharge and positioningof the covers preparatory to moving them one at a time into assembledrelationship with the container body portions. The container covers Care released from the bottom of the stack in the guideway one at a timeby mechanism including superposed pairs of horizontal stop pins 86 whichare projected one pair at a time into the guideway in such fashion thatthe lower pair, during one stage of the operations, supports thecomplete stack whereas during a succeeding stage, the uppermost pair ofpins supports the entire stack with the exception of the cover whichpreviously was engaged by the lower pair of pins while the latter werefunctioning as the stack supporting medium. During this second stage thelower pins occupy a retracted position as shown in Fig. 6. A spring 86normally holds the lower pair of pins projected into the passageway 84.These pins are mounted in a guide block 81 and are operatively connectedby means of a pivoted cross-head 88 to a short horizontal shaft 89, thelatter in turn being connected through links 90 to a lever 9| which inturn is mounted upon a rock shaft 92. This rock shaft .92 is journaledin a pair of horizontal bearings :93 and at the end opposite said lever9|, carries ;a depending finger 94. This finger 94 or trigger is adaptedto be rocked each time a container lbody moves to the assembly stationwhereby to insure the positioning of a cover at one side of the:assembly station only in the event a container .body has likewise beenplaced in position for as- ;sembly at said station.

The covers are discharged through the open- {ing 82 into the funnelguide 83 by a stream of :air under pressure which is directedtransversely :across the upper portion of the channel in such .fashionas to invert the covers simultaneously with discharge thereof into saidfunnel guide. Thus the covers are properly positioned for movement lateron into assembled relationship with the container bodies. This dischargedevice also includes means whereby feeding of the container covers tothe funnel guide will be momentarily discontinued whenever a stack inthe guideway 84 reaches a predetermined level. Under such circumstancesthe covers move to the open outer end of the channel I5 where they areautomatically discharged into the inclined chute I6 and thereby directedinto any suitable reoeptacile. The specific construction consists of anair conduit 98, the outlet or nozzle end 99 of which opens into theupper portion of the channel 15 directly opposite the side dischargeopening 82 in the channel 15. The inlet end I of the conduit, which ismounted in a bracket IilI, opens into the guideway 84 through the innerwall I02 thereof. Directly across from and coaxial with the inlet endI00 of the conduit is a port I03 which communicates by way of apassageway I04 in a block I05 with an air supply pipe I06, the 1atterbeing connected to a main supply line I 01 through a valve I08. It willbe apparent from the above that the accumulation of a predeterminednumber of covers C in the passageway will automatically interrupt theflow of air into the inlet end I00 of the conduit 98 and thereby cause amomentary cessation of the discharge of covers into the funnel guide 83.Flow of air is resumed incident to dropping of the stack below the inletI00.

The assembling unit 32 which interengages the hinge portions of thebodies and covers of the containers effects such assembly while thelatter are momentarily held stationary. The assembly mechanism includesa presser foot I09 which has a horizontal slot I I0 in the lower sidethereof to accommodate a guide bar III, the latter in part providing anupper wall for the channel 56 along which the container bodies arecarried by the feed bar 31. This presser foot during the actualassembling operation is yieldingly forced into the body 34 in firmengagement with the bottom of the latter.

'. is rigidly supported during the short period of time required to movea cover G into engagement therewith.

Movement of the covers one at a time from a position immediately belowthe discharge opening of the vertical guideway 84 to a position in whichthe hinge portion thereof engages a corresponding portion on the bodies,may well be effected by the mechanism clearly shown in Figs. 2, 6, and7. This mechanism includes a cover holder I 24 which is mounted forhorizontal reciprocation between a position in which it receives coversone at a. time from the guideway 84 to a position in which the hingeportions of the cover and body are interengaged. This cover holdercomprises a rectangular block I25 having a recess I26 in its forwardface to accommodate a container cover in an on-edge position. A pair ofjaws I21 which are arranged at the opposite vertical ends of said blockand yieldingly held in engagement with the latter by a coil spring I2'Iand mounted upon vertical hinge pins I28 operate to retain a cover partin said recess I26 during the advancing movement of the holder. I V

The cover holder I24 is attached to the forward end of a horizontalslide I32 which is mounted in a slideway I33 extending transverse to thelength of the upper side of the table 30, said slide being connected toa bell crank lever I34 by means of a yielding connecting rod I35. Thisbell crank lever carries a cam roller I36 which rides upon a rotary camI31, the latter be ing mounted upon and rotating with the aforementionedcountershaft "II. This cam is so shaped that it rocks the lever I34 in afashion to reciprocate the cover holder I24 in proper timed relation tothe delivery of the cover and body parts to the assembly station andvertical reciprocation of the presser foot I09. The bell crank lever I34is mounted upon a horizontal rod I38 extending longitudinally along oneside of the table 30 and supported at its endsv in brackets I39. The arethrough which the upper arm of the bell crank lever I34 may swing, isregulably controlled by means of an adjustable stop screw I40 carried bya U-shaped frame I 4| through which said arm extends and a pair ofadjustable stop screws I42 which are carried by the slide I32 andengageable withplates I43 which are attached to the upper side of thetable 30 inwardly from the margin thereof. vThe latter stop screws I42limit the extent of forward ,motion of the cover holder while the firstnamed stop screw I40 is utilized in effecting accurate alignment of thecover holder with the discharge opening of the vertical guide 84.

Immediately upon completion of the assembling operation, the feed bar 31moves the as,-

Thus the container body sembled body and cover with the latter stillstanding substantially vertically in a step-bystep fashion to a cam Mtwhich projects into the path of movement of the cover portions andoverlies the normal path of the body portion. Thus the covers are partlyclosed. Immediately following such partial closing of the containers,they enter the sizing die 33 which functions to complete the closingoperation and impart a predetermined standard of dimensions and contourto the side walls of the container.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a vertical guideway havingan open upper receiving end and a. discharge opening at its lower end,said last named opening being located adjacent to one side of acontainer parts assembling station, means for delivering container partsto the upper end of said vertical guideway including a horizontalconveyor arranged in proximity to the upper end of said guideway, meansfor directing a stream of air under pressure across the conveyor justabove the vertical guideway to thereby discharge the container parts oneat a time from the conveyor into the receiving end of said guideway, andmeans whereby the accumulation of a predetermined number of containerparts'in said vertical guideway automatically shuts off the flow of airunder pressure.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a vertical guideway fordirecting container parts to an assembling station, a horizontalconveyor operable to carry the parts in succession to the upper end ofsaid vertical guideway, means for discharging the container parts fromsaid conveyor into the upper end of the guideway including an airconduit having a discharge nozzle positioned to direct a stream of airunder pressure laterally over the conveyor in proximity to the upper endof the guideway, and means for directing air under pressure into theconduit by way of a path at least in part extending across the verticalguideway.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a vertical guideway fordirecting container parts to a preselected station, said guideway havingan open upper receiving end and an open lower end, means for bringingthe container parts one at a time to a point adjacent to said receivingend, means for directing a stream of air under pressure against thecontainer parts to propel them into said receiving end, and meanswhereby the accumulation of a predetermined number of the containerparts in said guideway interrupts the flow of air under pressure to thedirecting means.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a vertical guideway fordirecting parts to a preselected station, said guideway having an openupper receiving end and an open lower end, means for bringing the coverparts one at a time to a point adjacent to said receiving end, means fordirecting a stream of air under pressure against the cover parts topropel them into said receiving end, and means whereby the accumulationof a predetermined number of the cover parts in said guideway interruptsthe flow of air under pressure to the directing means, said means forinterrupting the flow of air including an air conduit having an inletopening into the guideway through one side wall thereof and an air portdirectly across the guideway from and in register with said conduit.

5. In combination, a vertical guideway having open upper and lower endsand through which work-pieces are adapted to move by gravity to saidlower end, means for bringing work-pieces in succession to said openupper end, an air nozzle arranged to direct the Work-pieces into theupper end of said guideway, and means whereby the accumulation of apredetermined number of pieces in said guideway momentarily terminatesoperation of the nozzle.

6. In combination, a vertical guideway having open upper and lower endsand through which work-pieces are adapted to move by gravity to saidlower end, means for bringing work-pieces in succession to said openupper end, an air nozzle arranged to direct the work-pieces into theupper end of said guideway, and means whereby the accumulation of apredetermined number of pieces in said guideway momentarily terminatesoperation of the nozzle, said last named means including an air conduitin part formed by the guideway for conducting air under pressure to thenozzle.

LOUIS HERMANI.

